


There's Always Tomorrow

by Puffcat



Category: Tennis no Oujisama | Prince of Tennis
Genre: M/M, atobe just wants to spend time with the bae, holiday fluff, not even sorry
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-28
Updated: 2015-10-28
Packaged: 2018-04-28 13:53:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,805
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5093192
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Puffcat/pseuds/Puffcat
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A cozy evening in spent watching an old Christmas favorite.</p>
            </blockquote>





	There's Always Tomorrow

Atobe always got more…well, Tezuka wasn’t quite sure how to describe it as anything other than spirited, around the holidays. As soon as the month of December rolled around, the manor became decked out in lavish, sparkling garlands and shiny baubles of every color. In the main hall always stood a magnificent Christmas tree, much bigger than anyone could possibly need, decorated in only the finest, shimmering glass ornaments. (‘It’s the centerpiece of the house, it must look grander than any other tree on the property,’ Atobe would always explain.)  For Tezuka, at least, it seemed easier just to let Atobe go on as he did, with his extravagant decorations and festive mood.

He did grudgingly admit that the tree, although it probably should have been left in whatever European forest it was imported from, always did look beautiful. The warmth of the thousands of fairy lights filled the entire hall and reflected off of the hand-blown glass ornaments, sending twinkling flecks of light across every surface. The smell, too, was very welcoming, like the mountains Tezuka so enjoyed climbing.

Sometimes, if he was visiting and Atobe was feeling particularly enthusiastic, he would attempt to rope the other boy into helping him decorate. The last time he had reluctantly agreed, he had ended up with a bruised hip and a broken step ladder. These days, he just preferred to watch, or read a book and keep his lover company while he did the decorating.

Of course, the moment the first snowfall began floating down, Tezuka received a text from said lover, imploring him to come over. A car would apparently be sent for him. And considering the text had been sent roughly twenty minutes before he had noticed it…

“Kunimitsu, your friend is here for you!” Ah, just as he expected. Tezuka closed his notebook and got up from his desk. He didn’t bother bringing his study materials with him, as he knew any chance of him getting even the smallest amount of work done with Atobe was slim to none. And that was being optimistic.

He descended the stairs, grabbing his coat and slipping on his shoes before saying goodbye to his mother and heading out the door. The chauffeur immediately opened the back door of the limo for him, revealing a very pleased looking Atobe relaxing against the leather upholstery, dressed in an expensive looking dark gray knitted sweater.

“Kunimitsu, so glad you could join me this evening!” He smiled charmingly as Tezuka slid into the seat next to him, and the chauffeur shut the door. “But oh, what’s that above your head?”

Tezuka glanced up, spotting the small sprig of green leaves and round white berries. “Mistletoe? Really?” He dryly remarked.

But Atobe wasn’t fazed at all, and instead leaned in closer. “It’s tradition. And I _know_ how much you dislike breaking tradition...” He edged.

“If you wanted a kiss, you could just ask…” huffed Tezuka. But still, he closed the distance between them, brushing his lips against Atobe's.

That seemed to satisfy him. “Mm, yes, but where’s the fun in that? Besides, I only get to use this trick once a year, I simply can’t pass up the chance!” Atobe took the opportunity to press himself against Tezuka’s side, and lace their fingers together.

This, Tezuka did not protest, deciding to enjoy the silence of car ride and Atobe’s warmth seeping through his clothes.

 

 

When they arrived at his Tokyo mansion, Atobe lead Tezuka inside and along a few side hallways and into what looked like a large home theatre. He tugged him down onto the comfortable looking sofa in the center, and began wrapping the both of them in soft, heavy blankets that were draped over the back of the furniture.

“I thought we could enjoy a movie together,” Atobe explained. He glanced outside, taking in the swirling snowflakes dancing past the windowpanes. “The perfect way to spend a cold, snowy winter night, no?”

A moment later, a servant entered the room, carrying a silver tray with mugs of steaming hot chocolate and bowl of tiny marshmallows balanced on it. He set it down on a small coffee table, and bowed respectfully before leaving the two boys to enjoy themselves. Atobe gestured to the drinks. “Take your pick. If it’s not to your liking, I can have them bring out something else. Anything you want!” He always worried more about pleasing Tezuka than anyone else.

Tezuka shook his head, the corners of his lips twitching upward. “This is fine.” He reached out and picked up a mug. After a moment of thought, he leaned forward again, and added four of the marshmallows. He could indulge himself this time, he decided.

Atobe watched as Tezuka lifted the mug to his lips and took a small sip.

“It’s good. I can only assume it’s not from Japan?”

“Of course not! Everyone knows the Swiss are the masters of chocolate. This blend was flown in just this morning.”

And a single serving of it probably cost more than a two months of Tezuka’s allowance. He settled himself in amongst the blankets, warm mug in hand. “What are we watching?”

Atobe’s eye’s immediately brightened. “Oh, it’s an adorable film, Kunimitsu, you’ll love it! It’s an old American movie, I used to watch it with my parents every year, back when I lived in England. I still do, but usually just with Beat, these days.” One would have to be paying close attention to hear the way Atobe’s excitement petered off towards the end of his words. Luckily, Tezuka was always a careful listener, especially where his lover was concerned. The fact that his parents were so often away for most of the holidays had clearly left an impact on their son, however hard he tried to cover it up. He shifted just the tiniest bit closer.

“Mm. Is it in English?” Tezuka wondered. It wouldn’t be too much of a problem, but he would have to pay a bit closer attention than usual.

The enormous screen lit up as Atobe grabbed a remote off the table. “It is, but I can turn on the subtitles. I want you to really enjoy this.” And with that, he pressed play.

 

At first, Tezuka was more than a bit skeptical about watching “Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer”. Of course he’d heard the song, and new the general story, as most children did, but he wondered how interesting an entire movie about the small deer with luminescent nose could be.

He also did not recall Rudolph having a love interest, or making friends with an elf.

Atobe snuggled closer to Tezuka, sighing contently. This was most certainly better than watching with his dog. Even if, he must admit, the dog was more comfortable to rest his head against. But for this, he could deal with Tezuka’s bonier shoulders.

Despite the choppy style of animation, Tezuka soon found himself enjoying the movie. It was indeed cute, as Atobe had promised. He could understand why his younger self had so enjoyed watching it. But as much as he watched the storyline progress, Tezuka found himself gazing more often at Atobe, contently tucked against his side. His expressions seemed to coincide with what was happening on screen. He smiled, watching a tiny Rudolph struggle to stand for the first time. His brow creased when his father forced him to cover his nose again and again.

And when the doe began to sing, Atobe smiled softly, eyes crinkling the tiniest bit at the corners. He sighed, perhaps wistfully, and his hand found Tezuka’s under the blankets, twining their fingers.

_There’s always tomorrow, for dreams to come true, believe in your dreams, come what may…_

For a second, Tezuka thought he was imagining it, but Atobe was softly humming the tune. Seeing him in such a state of quiet happiness, Tezuka couldn’t help but rest his head against Atobe’s, tugging the blankets higher up and letting the calm, lilting melody wash over them both.

 

 

He must have fallen asleep after that, because was lightly shaken awake by Atobe some time later. “Ah, I dozed off…” he muttered, and then, feeling somewhat bad, added, “I’m sorry, Keigo.”

Atobe pressed a tender, lingering kiss to his lips. “It’s quite alright. I fell asleep as well, you’re very warm. We can finish tomorrow.”

Tezuka blinked, trying to clear his head. “Tomorrow? How late is it?”

“Late enough that I wouldn’t want you leaving…” Any attempt to sound casual was undermined by the obvious happiness laced into the statement.

“….I’ll send my mother a message, then.” Tezuka dug around for his phone, eventually finding that it had fallen out of his pocket and between the plush couch cushions, and sent a quick text.

 

 

Later, when they were both tucked away in Atobe’s large bed, Tezuka remembered something.

“That song, the one about tomorrow…you like it more than the others.” He quietly stated, slowly combing his fingers through Atobe’s hair as his head rested on his chest.

“I was wondering if you’d mention that... Don’t stop doing that, ‘feels nice…” He sighed sleepily, nuzzling up into Tezuka’s soothing touch and draping an arm over his waist. “My mother used to sing it to me… She’s a lovely songstress, I always enjoyed hearing her… She said it was to remind me that, no matter where we are, I’ll always be there in her heart, and her in mine. And that we won’t be apart forever…” He trailed off. He’d never revealed to anyone how much the movie, especially that particular song, truly meant to him.

Tezuka could tell how much it took for Atobe to bare himself like that, even if it was just the two of them. He so rarely talked about his family, always eventually deflecting when they came up in conversation for too long. He must miss them more than he let on.

“She sounds like a very kind woman. …Thank you, Keigo, for sharing this with me. All of it.” The soft light drifting in from the partially covered windows illuminated the sharp planes of Atobe’s face, casting upon him an ethereal glow. There were two instances where Tezuka thought the other boy looked truly beautiful. One was when he was on a tennis court, fully immersed in an intense match, adrenaline coursing through his veins. The other….it was moments like this, of absolute serenity, when Atobe finally let go of his personas, and allowed himself to be completely relaxed, open. He leaned down, dropping a kiss to the fine, feathery locks he was stroking.

 

Just as Atobe was about to drift off to sleep, he felt Tezuka's chest vibrate, his quiet, deep voice resonating in the large room.

_There’s always tomorrow, for dreams to come true, tomorrow is not far away…_

**Author's Note:**

> I love that song so much, definitely my favorite in the movie~ Also Tezuka singing to Atobe when he's half asleep is a good headcanon ok


End file.
